Revelation 11:9-10
For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
If you told someone in the 18th century to text or email a Powerpoint, what would they think? It would sound unintelligible. I like to look at old commentaries to see how they interpreted Revelation. Matthew Henry for instance, writing in 1708-1710, did not say much about the whole world gazing at the dead bodies of the two witnesses because he knew nothing about live TV. I often wonder what the Apostle John thought as he wrote these words. He would have shrunk in horror that the bodies remained unburied. It was unheard of in that culture to be so callous toward the dead, even an enemy. He had never seen the unspeakable horrors we perpetrated in the 20th century with the Holocaust.
It may also have been strange to see people treating the death of two Christians like a holiday but, sadly, it is becoming easier to envision such a scenario today. The rhetoric and hatred toward Christians today would never be tolerated for any other group, religious or otherwise. It is only a short step to physical mistreatment or even martyrdom. These things were seen by John and his writings are a warning to us of things to come. Praise the Lord that these witnesses will not walk alone, nor will you. He will give you strength to endure all things and we have nothing to fear…
Rejoice over that!